Historical Events on September 17
- 1775: The Siege of Fort St. Jean kicks off the Invasion of Canada during the American Revolutionary War.
- 1778: The first formal treaty between the U.S and a Native American tribe is signed on this day. It’s called the Treaty of Fort Pitt and is between the United States and the Delaware Indians.
- 1787: The Constitution of the United States is signed on this day.
- 1849: Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery.
- 1862: The northward drive of Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army is halted by George B. McClellan during the bloodiest day of the American Civil War.
- 1939: The Soviet Union invades Poland during World War II.
- 1939: The HMS Courageous is sunk by a German U-29 submarine during WWII.
- 1940: Hitler postpones Operation Sea lion after Nazi Germany’s defeat during the Battle of Britain.
- 1944: Allied Airborne soldiers parachute into the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden of World War II.
- 1944: The Soviets launch the Tallinn Offensive against pro-independence Estonian units and German forces.
- 1944: The Allies attack German forces during the Battle of San Marino during World War II.
- 1976: NASA unveils the first space shuttle. It’s called the Enterprise.
- 1978: Israel and Egypt sign the Camp David Accords.
- 1983: Vanessa Williams is crowned the first African-American Miss America.
- 1991: North and South Korea, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Micronesia join the U.N.
- 1991: The Marshall Islands join the U.N.
- 1991: The first iteration of Linux Kernel is released to the Internet.
Famous Birthdays on September 17
- American guitarist and singer-songwriter Hank Williams is born in 1923.
- English-American actor Roddy McDowall is born in 1928.
- American actor and screenwriter William Shockley is born in 1963.
- American actor Kyle Chandler is born in 1965.
- American screenwriter and director Bryan Singer is born in 1965.
- American author Cheryl Strayed is born in 1968.
- American interior designer and TV host Nate Berkus is born in 1971.